Here in points north, the sun has finally decided to shine! I couldn't be happier to soak up some Vitamin D straight from the source, but...if you have met me or ever talked to me, ever...you know that  I am passionate about skin cancer prevention. I was blessed with fair Irish skin, and right now I am sporting a sunburn that is KILLING me. It doesn't hurt - I just KNOW better than to go out in the sun exposed.

So, here is my yearly plea to all of you—please take care of your skin. Wear SPF 30 at all times and reapply often. Do not visit tanning salons! According to www.cancer.gov,  women who use tanning beds more than once a month are 55 percent more likely to develop malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. I recently spoke with Rob Loy, a faithful volunteer from Florida. He relayed a VERY sad story to me. One of his local contestants, all grown up with a family and children, recently died from skin cancer. She worshipped the sun in her youth and the damage was done. I don't want that to happen to anyone else, particularly when it is so easy to avoid! 

I know that some people like to have darker skin, but there are plenty of bronzing products available today plus you can always get a "spray tan" a day or so before competition. 

My favorite sunscreen brand is Neutrogena and I do prefer the kind that sprays right out of the can - very easy to apply every morning and with no mess. I also have an SPF in my face lotion and my foundation. And I have to tell you, avoiding skin cancer is my #1 goal, but I often am mistaken for being MUCH younger than I am and I think that's because tanning causes premature aging as well.

Okay, I'll step off my soapbox now! 

How is your summer going? 

I was both relieved and troubled to read today that the story about Kerry Campbell, the mother who claimed to inject her 8-year-old daughter Brittany with botox, was a hoax.

I am relieved because it was dangerous behavior, and thank goodness that little girl didn't have to go through that. I am relieved because I really, truly hoped that pageants hadn't devolved to that level - and I was right. They haven't, and they won't.

On the other hand, I remain troubled because Brittany ( or whatever her real name may be ) still has a mother who is willing to lie and put her on national television for...what? Fame? Infamy? I am still not sure, because the story resulted in mother and child being separated.

I am stomping mad because this woman posed as a pageant mom and perpetuated the stereotype that pageant mothers are extremists, willing to do anything. It is so sad that this story, on some level, was...believable.

And finally, whether the botox was a truth or an elaborate hoax, I maintain my original conclusion—this is abusive behavior. It's abusive to lie and teach your child to lie, and to put your child in the national spotlight and in the hands of Child Protectice Services for a media prank.

What do you guys think? Am I overreacting to a white lie? Or is there more to this?

I'm writing about a topic today that I had been holding off on for a week or so. I know a lot of you have seen the young girl on television whose mother was giving her botox injections. The mother and daughter were featured on Good Morning America recently and, naturally, the program caused an uproar. Here is a video clip of their appearance:

I believe that most of you would agree that there is a LOT wrong going on here. Before I get into all of that, I want to explore why this mother is labeled "a pageant mother" instead of an "abusive mother." They never name the system this little girl is competing in and I can tell you 100% that this is NOT happening in the Miss America system. Beyond that, I would bet a nickel that this is not happening in ANY child pageant system. This is extreme and dangerous behavior, and I am very disappointed that it is immediately labeled as pageant behavior. This is bad behavior that has nothing to do with pageants.

It was just announced that Child Protectice Services was involved in this situation and the young girl is no longer in her mother's custody while CPS is ensuring that she has a safe environment to live in.

And while it may seem uncharitable to say this, I am glad this is happening. For those of you who don't know, Botox is made from botchulism - a highly dangerous strain of food poisoning that could kill an entire community in a heartbeat. This little girl is getitng exposed to a deadly substance by her mother who is not a doctor. Beyond that, I cannot imagine my mother implicitly telling me that the way I looked at 8 years old wasn't good enough. I don't even know that I knew what a wrinkle was at 8 years old - I certainly didn't worry about having them!

As I said, there is so much that is distressing about this situation. Where is this woman GETTING the Botox - what doctor is selling it to her? What makes her think that is is appropriate and safe? And why does she (and the media) so easily blame this on pageant pressure? I am no fan of Toddlers and Tiaras, don't get me wrong, but this goes way beyond Toddlers and Tiaras. I wish that the general public could look beyond the word "pageant" in this story and see that it is plain, ungilded child abuse.

So - that's what I think about all of this. What do YOU think?

Hello everyone! I cannot believe it’s the middle of May already!  This year has gone by so fast!  In my opinion, though, this is the best time of the year.  The weather is beautiful, the flowers are blooming, and school is almost over.  Many of you are probably finishing up projects and cramming for your final exams.  As a college student, I know all too well how that goes!  If you are going through your last couple of final exams or projects at school, I wish you the best of luck!

Talking about final exams and projects, most of you have probably had to stand up in front of the class and give a presentation on your project or on a specific topic at some point throughout your academic career.  Were you nervous?  I can remember being so nervous to stand up and present my book report to the entire class when I was in 4^th grade.  My face got red, my hands started to shake, and I wanted to be anywhere but in that classroom.  As I got older, my fear of speaking in front of a class or group of people really didn’t go away.  It wasn’t until I entered my first pageant at the age of 14 and had to interview in front of a panel of judges that I realized how public speaking wasn’t actually that bad.  Not only did that experience force me to speak and express my thoughts and beliefs in front of people, but it also made me realize what a powerful tool speaking is.  Being able to effectively and confidently communicate your ideas with any group of people is a skill that will always serve you well in life.  Luckily, Teens in Training Camp can help you learn and perfect that skill.  At Teens in Training Camp this summer, teens will be able to take classes with some of today’s most skilled communicators.  They will be given the opportunity to have an interview experience similar to mine that will teach them how to get their point across in a clear, concise manner.  They will also practice their public speaking skills by introducing themselves to the audience at a preliminary MAOTeen pageant.

To give you a little preview of what you will learn about the interview process at Teens in Training Camp, here is a tip from expert interview and pageant coach, Elizabeth McGlynn:

“’What do the judges want to hear? What would ‘sound better’? What would be the ‘perfect’ answer to that question?’

These are questions I am asked repeatedly by the young women I work with – and I can’t answer them – at least I can’t speak for what anyone else ‘wants’ to hear. There are NO perfect answers – and what you answer on one day might be different from the next depending on how the question is asked and the information you may have gained in the interim time between one interview and the next.  What I impress on everyone I work with who wants to be their best in an interview is: Answer honestly and from the heart; in other words, BE YOURSELF! Judges are people with their own opinions, ideas, values and perceptions on the world around them.”

Hope this gets you excited for camp!  From now until June 1^st you can register for TNT Camp by using promo code 4pointsTNT to receive a $150 discount.  Don’t miss out on this incredible discount and all the wonderful opportunities Teens in Training Camp has to offer!

Truly yours,

Tawni